Hong Kong’s co-hosting of the15th National Games in November carries profound, multifaceted significance for the city, Hong Kong Sports Institute chief Tony Choi Yuk-kwan has said.
Choi added that he hoped that Hong Kong would cement its position as a regional sports stronghold and mega-events hub, and that the Games will deliver both immediate tourism benefits and long-term industry growth.
With venue try-outs underway and the home crowd poised to lift morale, Choi laid odds that the city’s elite teams will give their peak performances at next month’s National Games, as the 30-day countdown began on Friday.
The National Games — jointly hosted by the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions alongside Guangdong province between Nov 9 and 21— will kick off the country’s triple sports extravaganza this year, later followed by the combined 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and 9th National Special Olympic Games in December.
“Home turf advantage ensures that critical edge through familiar venues and vocal support,” Choi told China Daily in an exclusive interview, conditions he expects will fuel breakthroughs.
Choi brings first-hand experience of home success, having guided Hong Kong’s squash team to an unprecedented seven gold medals and five silvers at the 2009 East Asian Games — the city’s first hosting of major international multi-sport games — during his 17-year stint as the team’s head coach.
“There had been high expectations for our performance,” Choi recalled, crediting the historic wins to strong public backing.
Hong Kong will dispatch its largest-ever delegation to this year’s Games, including more than 600 athletes who will compete in 28 sports.
The Games are also expected to draw a wide spectrum of elite athletes, industry leaders and tourists, which will likely parlay sports spectacles into good tourism revenue, Choi added.
Hong Kong authorities anticipated about 4,000 incoming participants during the Games between late October and December — including over 2,100 athletes, 1,000 officials and 800 technical staff — alongside several hundred media practitioners.
Choi sees the Games as both a stress test for the city’s sports infrastructure and another milestone in its continued effort to emerge as a premier event host.
Newly opened Kai Tak Sports Park — Hong Kong’s largest integrated sports and entertainment precinct — can take the opportunity to carve out its position as a strategic asset for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s sports ecosystem in addition to being a local landmark, he said.
Kai Tak Sports Park will host several events for the Games, including men’s handball and fencing at the park’s indoor arenas and rugby sevens at the main stadium.
Looking forward, Choi emphasized that regular utilization of these venues for national and international competitions can build dedicated, broader fan bases within the city, together with a sustained heartening mood for local athletes.
The expanded event calendar will also drive professionalization across Hong Kong’s sports industry, generating demand for specialists in sports management, medicine and science, opening new career pathways for more, he added.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
